When Ashland Eagles senior Michael Labry enters the room you do not really get the impression he is the kind of person who can tear your arms off in a physical altercation.

He walks with a calm sense of confidence, yet he also has a sense of humility to himself.

If you have never seen him in action you would think he was just some normal guy on the street, but in actuality the guy is a 133 pound animal on the wrestling mats.

Since the day that he stepped foot on campus, the Twinsburg native had an immediate impact upon the Ashland wrestling program, placing fourth in the nation for Division II his freshman year.  

Every consecutive year since then,  Labry has been moving closer and closer towards that elusive National Championship.

As a sophomore Labry finished third in the nation, and as a junior he made it to the final match only to fall short by just one point.

Last year Labry took his redshirt to concentrate on improving his craft to make sure that this year he will finish his wrestling career with him having his hand held up in victory at the end of the finals.

“I took my redshirt year, wrestled up a weight class, did some open tournaments and just focused on getting better,” said Labry. “I came back this year and I have been training hard to finish up and win that title back at 133.  So far I have been having a really good year, and I am hoping to finish of the year with that win.”

Currently Labry sits on top of the 133 pound weight class for all of NCAA Division II wrestling and his sights are set on the prize which is the top spot on the podium at the end of the season.

“I will always be happy with what happened here through my four years, but anything but winning it all will be a let down,” said Labry, “So I’m definitely working hard to win it and there will be nothing better than to end my college career and pretty much my wrestling career to end it with a national title.”

With all the wrestling accolades to the side, Labry has worked hard to set himself up for victory outside and away from the mats as he is half way through working towards his Masters in Business and looks forward to returning to his hometown and putting his degree and work ethic from the wrestling mats to good use.

Labry hopes that after his career at Ashland University is over, he can continue to have an impact upon the wrestling squad as he pursues his MBA possibly as a graduate assistant for coach Hutchins and crew.

Labry said Ashland University has become home away from home for him, as it was a natural choice for him from day one. 

The opportunity to compete in the sport that he loves close to home all while working towards earning a quality education was a no-brainer for Labry.

Michael Labry’s love for wrestling started at a young age when he was introduced to the sport by the father of his next door friend who himself has gone on to wrestle at top levels of intercollegiate wrestling.

Growing up Labry enjoyed various other sports growing up, but wrestling ultimately became his niche sport. 

“I played a little bit of baseball for a little bit, did soccer and swimming and all that.  I played football up until eighth grade,” said Labry. “Once high school came around it was nothing but wrestling just year round doing freestyle, in the summers doing camps and tournaments.”

As a product of a strong Twinsburg wrestling program, Labry owns the school record for career wins for the Tigers wrestling program that has experienced a good amount of success throughout the years. 

Unfortunately life at AU is not always perfect for one of the top wrestlers in the country.  Labry and many other wrestlers cannot indulge in the luxury of having one of the top student dining programs  in the nation since it is key to maintain their weight throughout the season.

“If we have a week off then I go and try to eat a little healthy over there, but when I am cutting I don’t even go over to convo,” said Labry, “I just keep strict with what I eat and my intake to keep my weight down.  After the season I will definitely be in there getting my swipes worth.”

When Michael does get the chance splurge and get to eat whatever he wants his favorite go-to cheat meal is hot wings.

“Any time I am not cutting weight I try to go to B-Dubs or go to Linder’s here in Ashland. They have some of the best wings, I like those alot,” Labry said.

Michael is also a good hometown sports fan and holds all of the Cleveland sports teams close to his heart.

Hockey is also a favorite sport that Labry follows, and he has also been enjoying the success that the Columbus Blue Jackets have been experiencing along with the newly crowned Calder Cup Champions Cleveland Monsters. 

In his free time Michael likes to stay active and looks forward to warmer days in which he can enjoy his favorite hobby as a kid growing up on a lake, wakeboarding.  

Who knows, with his athletic skills maybe we could see Michael Labry showcasing his talents wakeboarding at the ESPN X Games.

Labry and the Eagle wrestling team will compete against Davenport at home on Jan. 20.